Means for indicating the relative positions of moving parts.



No. 731,750. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. H. W. BUCK.

MEANS FOR INDIGATING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF MOVING PARTS.

APPLICATION rmm my 28, 189B. 10 MODEL.

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umlzjf UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD WV. BUCK, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR INDICATING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF MOVING PARTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,750, dated June 23,1903.

Application filed'May 281 1898. Serial No. 681,971. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. BUCK, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Schenectady, county of Schenectady, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forIndicating the Relative Positions of Moving Parts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

\Vhen two direct-connected multipolar alternators are thrown together inparallel, they will not give satisfactory results in many cases unlessthe switch is thrown at the instant when the cranks of their respectivedriving-engines have the. same angular position. This is particularlythe case where two alternators are driven by independent single-cylinderengines. If at the time the switch is thrown the cranks of theengineshappen to be crossed, one engine will pull while the other isnear the dead-point, and conversely. If the fly-wheel elfeet of theengines happens to be small, the result is that the angular velocity ofthe engine-shafts will vary between certain limits during a singlerevolution. If under these conditions the alternators driven by theseengines be connected together at the instant when the speed of oneengine happens to be accelerating and the other decreasing, thealternate transfer of load from one machine to the other will have theefiect of exaggerating the irregular speed of the engines, and thusprevent the alternators from falling into step, even though the meanspeed of the two engines be the same. The present invention enables thisdifficulty to be overcome by indicating when the cranks of the enginesassume a relative position properfor connecting together the alternatorsdriven thereby.

In the specific embodiment disclosed in this application the inventionis arranged to indicate on the switchboard of the central station or atany other convenient place the instant at which the cranks of twosteam-engines assume a predetermined relative angular position. Broadlyspeaking, however,

the invention comprises apparatus for indicating the relative positionof a plurality of parts each having a simple periodic motion.

In its more limited aspects the invention is intended to indicate therelative angular positions of a plurality of shafts having substantiallythe same rate of rotation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the arrangement of apparatus. Fig.2 is a diagram of circuits.

In Fig. 1 two alternating-current generators A and B are connecteddirectly to driving-enginesDand E. On the end of the shaft of thealternator A two collector-rings F connect, through any suitablecurrent-indicating device G, with the mains or bus-bars fg or with anysource of current, either alternating or direct. This current-indicatingdevice may be an incandescent lamp, for example. The shaft of thealternator A also carries two brushes H and I, connected, respectively,with the rings F. A commutator J is supported from a suitable standard Kand arranged concentrically with the axis of the shaft of the alternatorA and so that the brushes H and I can rotate about and bear thereon. Toeach com mutator-bar is connected a wire, as shown in Fig. 2, the wire 1being connected to the bar a, the wire 2 to the bar 5, &c. All of thewires 1 2 3, &c., are bound together to form a cable, which is connectedby any suitable route to the closed winding W on the stationary ring 0,of magnetic material, located concentrically with the axis of the shaftof the alternator B. The wires 1 2 3, &e., are connected to pointsequally spaced about the winding on the core or ring 0. It will thus beseen by referring to Fig. 2 that the commutator-bar ais connected to thepoint 1 in the closed winding, the barb'to the point 2 in the winding,and so on. The number of commutator-segments is the same as the numberof coils included between each pair of points 1 2, 2 3, and so on. Thecommutator-segments and the coils are thus spaced apart through the sameangular distance.

The ring 0 is laminated, and rotating therein is a bar of magneticmaterial L, carried by the shaftof the alternator B.

As the brushes H and I rotate about the commutator J, it will be seenthat the polarity of the winding of the ring 0 will rotate incorrespondence with the rotation of the brushes. It will be apparentthat the reactance of the winding depends upon the relative position ofthe bar L with respect to the line of polarity of the field produced bycurrent in saidwinding. If the polar line and the bar L coincide inposition, the reactance will be maximum, whereas if they are at rightangles the reactance will be minimum. If the parts be so arranged thatthe cranks of the steam-engines have a desired predetermined relativeposition when this coincidence of the bar L and the polar line takesplace, this relation may be observed by noting the current supplied tothe windingWthrough the current-indicator G. Under these circumstancesthe current will be a minimum. If the current-indicator G is a lamp, itwill go out when the engine-cranks assume the desired relation to eachother. The switch M may then be turned, connecting the alternator B withthe mainsfg.

Instead of arranging the parts so that the indicator-current is aminimum when the moving parts have the desired predetermined relation itis of course evident that the arrangement might be such as to make theindicator-current a maximum or any other desired value.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. The combination of a closed winding, a source of electrical energy,an electric circuit connecting said source and said closed winding, apositively-rotated element in inductive relation to said winding and acurrent-indicator connected to said circuit.

2. The combination of a closed winding, means for producing a shiftingpolarity therein, and an independently-rotated body of magnetic materialunsymmetrical with respect to its axis of rotation and inductivelyrelated to said closed winding.

3. In an apparatus for indicating the relative positions of a pluralityof moving parts, the combination of means for producing from an electriccurrent a magnetic field moving in synchronism with one of said movingparts and means for varying the value of said electric current inaccordance with the relative angular position of another of said movingparts.

4:. In an apparatus for indicating the relative positions of a pluralityof moving parts, the combination of means for producing a magnetic fieldmoving synchronously with one of said moving parts, means controlled byanother moving part for determining the value of said magnetic field,and indicating means responding to changes in the value of said field.

5. The combination of a closed winding, an electric circuit inconnection therewith,

means for continuously shifting the connections of said circuit withsaid winding, and a rotatable body of magnetic material unsymmetricalwith respect to its axis and moving independently of saidconnections-shifting means within the influence of the current in saidwinding.

6. The combination of a closed winding, a source of electric energy, anelectric circuit connecting said source and said closed winding, meansfor progressively shifting the connections of said circuit with saidwinding, and a positively-rotated body within the inductive influence ofcurrent in said winding.

7. The combination of two rotatable shafts, a commutator the segments ofwhich are connected to points in a closed winding, brushes carried byone shaft and bearing on said commutator, and a body of magneticmaterial inductively related to said winding and rotated by the othershaft.

8. The combination of two rotatable shafts, a commutator the segments ofwhich are connected to points in a closed winding, brushes carried byone shaft and bearing on said commutator, connections between saidbrushes and a source of electromotive force, means for indicating achange in current supplied to said winding and means controlled by theother shaft for varying the impedance of said winding.

9. The combination of two multipolar alternating-current generators,each directly connected to a separate driving-engine, and means forindicating when the cranks of the respective engines have assumed adesired relation to each other.

10. The combination of a closed winding, an electric circuit inconnection therewith, means for progressively shifting the connectionsof said circuit with said winding, and means moving independently ofsaid connections-shifting means and in inductive relation with saidwinding for varying the impedance of said circuit. I

11. The combination of a closed winding, an electric circuitimconnection therewith, means for progressively shifting the connectionsof said circuit with said winding, and means moving independently ofsaid connections-shifting means and in inductive relation with saidwinding for varying the current in said circuit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of May,1898.

HAROLD WV. BUCK.

WVitnesscs:

B. B. HULL, G. HAYNES.

